107th district candidates face off
Police reform, affordable housing top list of issues
“He’s out of alignment with the needs of our community.”
— Democratic challenger Kerri Colombo
“I’m proud of my record fighting for this community”
— Republican incumbent Steve Harding
BROOKFIELD — Candidates for the 107th state House district sharply contrasted on issues like the police reform bill and affordable housing during a debate Thursday evening.
The debate between Republican incumbent Steve Harding and Democratic challenger Kerri Colombo was streamed live from Brookfield Town Hall with both candidates wearing masks.
Harding, who was elected in 2015 to the seat that includes Brookfield and parts of Bethel and Danbury, voted against the police bill the legislature narrowly approved this summer.
“This bill went beyond just simply reform and training and really started addressing, not only police officers being inhibited from protecting themselves, but also inhibited police officers from protecting the community in general,” said Harding, an attorney.
Colombo backs the bill, arguing it allows officers to be better trained, provides funding for body cameras and protects residents from excessive force.
“What this bill does is stop inappropriate force,” said Colombo, who owns Cornerstone Organizing in Brookfield. “It does not prohibit a cop from doing their job.”
Colombo pointed to how expensive it is to live in Connecticut and said she backed efforts to build more affordable housing.
Harding said he opposes state statute 8-30g, which allows developers to bypass zoning laws, with certain exceptions, if they promise to build affordable housing. This statute has created problems in Brookfield, which once fought a proposal through the statute for a six-story building downtown.
Brookfield has since earned a moratorium against the rule because it built enough affordable housing.
“As long as we are offering affordable housing, developers can’t come in and usurp our zoning laws,” Colombo said.
But Bethel has tried to build affordable housing and has not reached the threshold for a moratorium, leading to projects that “usurp” zoning laws, Harding said.
“They are doing the right thing,” he said. “Despite all that, they are still under the auspices of 8-30g,” he said.
The two differed on the proposed charter school in Danbury, which has received approval from the state board of education, but not funding.
While Harding said funding for public schools should be prioritized, he said the charter school could be a way to address overcrowding in the Danbury buildings.
“It warrants at least to look into, to explore a little bit,” he said.
But Colombo said tax money should go to public schools.
“In that same amount of time, we can explore fixing the problem where it is, which is in the public school system and making sure that our funds, again, are going to our public schools and creating opportunities so that kids are not so overcrowded in the Danbury school system” she said.
The two were united on environmental and safety protections for Candlewood Lake and the need for the state to continue to fund teacher pensions, as well as reduce prescription drug costs.
They also backed health guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and efforts to better support local businesses struggling in the pandemic.
In her closing statement, Colombo criticized Harding’s opposition to bills like the $15 minimum wage and tied him to President Trump and the Republican Party.
“He’s out of alignment with the needs of our community,” she said.
Harding, who grew up in Brookfield, said he has become more passionate about his job in raising his young son with his wife, a Bethel teacher. The two are expecting a daughter.
“I’m proud to fight for our community and I’m proud of my record fighting for this community and always putting this community first,” he said.